Cavity walls of a masonry veneer tied to a stud backup wall are commonly utilized in construction to provide for esthetically pleasing appearance while being less expensive than solid masonry walls. One common type of cavity wall used in both residential and commercial buildings is a brick veneer tied to a stud backup wall.
The brick veneer is tied to the stud backup wall by use of masonry or brick veneer anchors. Such anchors are generally a planer anchor plate which is attached to the stud of the stud backup wall. The anchor plate at the exposed end is provided with a slot through which a brick tie wire is inserted, the brick tie wire being mortared between two rows of bricks to provide a secure connection between the brick veneer and backup wall. In the past, these connectors have been made of galvanized carbon steel which is a material similar to that which is used in construction of metal studs for the stud backup wall. However, there has recently been a serious concern expressed by a number of agencies regarding the potential for corrosion or failure of the masonry anchors due to the exposure of the anchors to moisture which is present in the cavity between the stud backup wall and the masonry veneer. Thus the use of stainless steel masonry anchors is becoming more prevalent. The problem with the use of the stainless steel anchors is the dissimilarity in metal composition between the stud and the masonry anchor. While the stainless steel anchor and brick tie wire has reduced the potential for corrosion of the anchors between the stud backup wall and the masonry veneer the dissimilar metals contact between the anchor and the stud of the stud backup wall may result in problems of corrosion and weakening of the attachment of the anchor to the stud backup wall.
There thus remains a need for a masonry anchor which overcomes this difficulty.